Furnace



May 14, 1929. w T. BARKER 1,712,642

FURNACE Filed 00?. 23, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7." Bar/r67:

A 770mm) May 14,1929. BARKER 1,712,642

FURNACE Filed Oct 25, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [N VENTO/f w I 54/1 BY I v v l 1 Z4 TTORNE y burn out.

Patented May 14, 1929.

' UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARD I. BARKER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

FURNACE.

Application filed October 23, 1924. Serial No. 745,433.

This invention relates to furnaces and the primary object of the'invention' isto prevent super oxygenated ases from contacting with the boiler tu es or still tubes wlth which the furnace is associated.

Ordinarily the air which is admitted to the combustion chamber of a furnace carries an excess amount of oxygen which, not being consumed in the furnace is carried over to contact withthe tubes in the still or boiler, the result being that the tubes soon In the types of furnaces and stills or boilers in which all of the products of combus'tion pass up the stack and all gases not generated in the furnace are admitted from atmosphere, the heat losses are considerable,

due to the fact that atmospheric air must be heated to the desired temperature before it i acts upon the boiler.

My invention contemplates the provision of two important features which eliminate difliculties heretofore present in furnace construction. For example with my*invention,' the amount of atmospheric or virgin air admitted to the furnace reaches the combustion chamber only in such quantities as is absolutely essential to furnish the necessary oxygen to support combustion and in view of the fact that the furnace gases contacting with the boiler flues do not carry an excess of oxygen, danger of .the flues becoming burnt out is eliminated. Furthermore in view of the fact that some of the flue gases -'are fed back into the furnace with only enough atmospheric or virgin air admitted to support combustion, it will be apparent that the hot flue gases being at a relatively high temperature when they enter the ;com bastion chamber of the furnace will require very little additional heat to raise them to the tem erature at which they are to contact wit the fines. 'By thismeans, a considerable saving of fuel is effected and since the flue gases contain a considerable proportion of carbon monoxide any oxygen remaining in the combustion chamber after combustion takes place will be neutralized so the usefulness of the still or boiler flues will be prolonged since they will not be attacked by oxygen.

The construction of the preferred embodiment of my invention, whereby I may effect heat conservation and neutralization of oxygenated gases will be clearly described here-' inafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which p F 1g. 1 is a perspective sectional view of a furnace and liquid vaporizer constructed in accordance with my invention. 1

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through the furnace and liquid va orizer.

Fig. .3 is asectiona view on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. v The furnace 1 is constructed in the form of a hollow rectangular casing consisting of the side walls 2' and 3 and the end walls 4 and 5, the vertical walls 2, 3, 4 and 5 having a top or roof 6 and a bottom or floor 7. Above the floor 7 is a transverse partition 8 supported by the vertical walls of the urnace and co-operating with the vertical transverse partition 9 and the longitudinal transverse partition 10 to form two main compartments or ducts under the partition or false bottom 8 The duct 11 is L-shaped, that is it has an end space 12 which extends the width of the furnace casing 1 and it runs longitudinally from the partition 9 to the end wall 5 where it communicates with a combustion chamber or space 13 through a port 14 at one corner of the combustion chamber;

The port 14 extendsthe width of the duct 11 at its narrow portion and the duct 11 communicates with the combustion cham-,

portion through a port cates with the combustion chamber through 9 a grid 18 formed in the wall of the transverse partition 8 and the s ace 17 communicates with, another duct eading from the boiler flueso that gases from the boiler flue may be fed into the combustion chamber 100 by a suitable means, for example a gas impeller 19 at the end of the flue or passageway 17, see Figs. 1 and 2.

Above the air ports 14 and 15 for the combustion chamber are the burners 20 and 105 21. .These burners may be oil .or gas and they are provided with baflles 22 and 23 to direct the fuel toward the transverse center of the combustion chamber as will be well understood by those skilled in furnace con- 110 fed through the openings 14 and 15 is supplied by an air impeller in communication with a preheater which utilizes the flue gases for reheating theair to raise its temperature efore it enters the combustion chamber. --.This will be more specifically described hereinafter.

The products of combustion pass out through the furnace through the longitudinal series of openin 24 in the wall 2 of the furnace where t ey enter'the liquid vaporizer 25. The particular construction of the vaporizer is immaterial as it may consist of a still for cracking oil, a steam boiler or a device of like construction so it is thought. it is unnecessary to specifically describe-any particular liquid vaporizer, the arrangement of the parallel tubes 26 being well known. y

In; the bottom of the liquid vaporizer is a longitudinal tunnel or flue 28 w iich' communicates with the heat space 29 'in the vaporizer. The flue or tunnel, 28 communicates with the casing for the gas impeller 19 by a transverse passageway 31, so that some of the gases can )ass back into the combustion chamber by owing into the flue or space 17 and up through thegrid lS. The major portion of the flue gases will fol low this direction of travel. Some of the gases however will flow through the cross flue 32 at the end of the furnace distant from the passageway 31 and into the stack 33 where they may exhaust to atmosphere. In the cross flue 32 is,a casing having end walls 34 and 35 which carry pipes or tubes 36 through which the flue gases pass on their way to the sta'ck. The air inlet duct or pipe 37 is connected to the casing supporting thetubes 36 so that atmospheric or virgin air'may be preheated before it flows into. the chamber 11 below the combustion chamber through the port or duct 16.

. The air is admitted through the ducts 37 and 16 between which is the preheater, by an air impeller 38 at the inlet of the duct 37, so that air will be admitted to the furnace. under forceddraft, but'at a very low pressure and in such volumes as to compcnsate for the loss of ases flowing out the stack .33. ,"The'r efg re t eaunount of gases admitted to the combustion chamber other than the gases generated by the fuel will be equal to the amount of gases passed by the impeller. 19; plusthe amount of airpassed by, the impeller 38. The onlyloss then,- to the furnace, in so far as heat is concerned 1 will be the heat losses which pass out the stack 33 and these heat losses will be represented by the amount of flue gases passing through stack 33 to permit the necessary 4 amount of air to enter the furnace to support,

combustion but in actual practice the heat losses will not be so a reciable because the fresh or virgin air fe into the furnace will first pass thi;ough the preheater and absorb some of the heat units from the exhausting flue gases which pass up the stack. Consequently the heat losses will be reduced to a minimum.

Suppose the device is constructed as shown in the drawings and the fuel burners 20 and 21 are ignited, the air to su port combustion will be admitted through tlib duct 37, a preheater, and duct 16 '(of course the air initially will not be heated assing through the preheater). The air will be received in the duct 11 and will ass into the combustion chamber through t e ports 14 and 15. The products of combustion will pass over into the vaporizer 25 through the orts 24. They will pass downwardly to the act 28, throu r passageway 31 and back into the furnace way of the passage 17 but since the air is continuously flowing into the furnace through the medium of the air impeller, the ducts 38 and 16, there will be a sh ht pressure in the combustion chamber anfa slight up draft in the stack 33 so some of the products of combustion will be piilled through the cross duct 32 passing through the pipes and the preheater and then pass out through the stack.

The volume of the products of combustion which pass out through the stack will be equal to the amount of air introduced into the furnace to support combustion and theoretically only so much air will be fed into the furnace as is necessary to support combustion, it being one of the purposes of this invention to eliminate any'oxygen from the vaporizer but. ractically this cannot be fully accomplished, owever the amount of oxygen laden air which is not consumed by the flames will be a very small percentage of the gaseous fluid passing around the tubes of the vaporizer and such .a small amount of oxygen will not attack the tubes because it will be so thoroughly diluted by the carbon monoxide gases as to render it impotent as an attacking medium. 1

vSince the major portion of the hot gases cooled only by the absorption of the heat units or tubes iii-the vaporizer will be fed back into the combustion chamber, will be struction of furnace in which all the gases must be heated from atmospheric temperature to the desired temperature, so there are two important features of my invention in a generic sense, one the conservation of heat and the other the elimination of detrimental oxy enated fluids which will attack the tubes of t e vaporizer, both features resulting in a marked saving in the operation of furnaces and while I have specifically described in detail what appears to me to be the very best form of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown but reserve the right to make such changes in form, proportion and minor details of construction as properly come within the scope of the appended claims. i

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1. The combination with a furnace and a liquid vaporizer in which heated gases pass from the furnace to'the vaporizer, of an atmospheric air-receiving chamber in the furnace below thecombust-ion chamber thereof, theair chamber communicating with the combustion chamber at its respective ends,

a passagewa for heated gases below the combustion c amber having ports in the top thereof whereby heated gases from the passageway may pass into the combustion chamber intermediate the ends of the combustion chamber, a conduit for exhausting some of,

the heatedgases from the vaporizer to atmosphere, a conduit for leading some of the heated gases from-the vaporizer to the passageway, and means for introducing atmospheric air to the atmospheric air receiving chamber.

2. The combination with a furnace and a -liquid vaporizer in which heated gases pass from the furnace to the vaporizer, of an atmospheric air receiving chamber in the furnace below the combustion chamber there- .of, the atmospheric air receiving chamber communicating with the combustion chamher at its respective ends, a passageway for heated gases below the combustion chamber having" ports in the top thereof whereby heated air from the passageway may pass the air chamber, the amount 0 atmospheric air admitted to thefirst named air chamber liquid vaporizer in which heated gases pass from the furnace direct to the vaporizer of an atmospheric air receiving chamber comheater inthe conduit leadin municating with the combustion chamber at its respectlve ends, a passageway below the combustion chamber having ports in the top thereof whereby heated gases from the passageway ma pass into the combustion chamber interme iate the ends of the combustion chamber, a conduit for exhausting some of the heated gases from the vaporizer to atmosphere, a conduit for leading some of the heated gases from the vaporizer to the passageway, means for introducing atmospheric air to the air receiving chamber and a prefrom the vaporizer to atmosphere throug which the atmospheric air for'the first named air chamber passes. y

4. The combination with a furnace and a liquid vaporizer in which heated gases pass from the furnace to the vaporizer, of an air chamber in the furnace below the combustion chamber thereof, the air chamber communicating with the combustion chamber at its respective ends, a passageway below the combustion chamber having ports in the top thereof whereby hot gasses from the passageway may pass into the combustion chamber intermediate the ends of the combustion chamber, a conduit for exhausting some ofthe heated gases from the vaporizer to atmosphere,a conduit for leading some of the heated gases from the vaporizer to the passageway, means for introducing atmospheric air to the air receiving chamber, and an impeller in the conduit which connects the va orizer with thehot air chamber.

5'. T e combination with a furnace and a liquid vaporizer in which heated gases pass from the furnace to the vaporizer, of an air chamber in the furnace below the combustion chamber thereof,'the air chamber com- 105 municating with the combustion chamber at its respective ends, a passageway below the combustion chamber having ports in the top thereof whereby hotgases from the passageway ma pass into the combustion chamber interme iate the ends of the combustion chamber, a conduit for exhausting some of I the heated gases from the vaporizer to atmosphere', a conduit for leading some of the heatedgases fromthe va" orizer to the passageway, means for intro ucing atmospheric air to the air receiving chamber, and an impeller in the means for admitting atmospheric air to the first named air chamber.

6. Apparatus of the character described including separate furnace and vaporizer chambers in communication for passage of gases from the furnace chamber to the vaorizer chamber, means in the furnace chamer defining a zone of primary combustion, a floor forming a, false bottom an the furnace chamber, and means partitioning the space beneath the floor to define a recirculation gas chamber and a separate air chamber, the floor having openings providing for passage 1 I 4 gases from the furnace chamber to the vaporizer v chamber, a horizontal partition forming a false bottom 1n the furnace chamber, means partitioning the space beneath said bottom to form a gas chamber and a separate air chamber at the end of the gas chamber, means in. the furnace chamber defining a zone of primary combustion over the air chamber, means for conducting gases from the vaporizer chamberto the as cham-,

ber for recirculation, and means or' delivering fresh air to said defined zone for supportmg combustion, said horizontal partition having openings for passage of fresh air from the air chamber to the zone of primary combustion and from the gas chamber to the furnace chamber externally of said zone. 1

8. Apparatus of the character described including furnace and vaporizer chambers in communication for passage of gases from the furnace chamber to the vaporizer chamber, the furnacechamber including primary combustion chambers at its respective ends, a passageway for heated gases below the furnace chamber and opening through the floor thereof between the primary combustion chambers, a stack, .a conduit/for conducting gases from the vaporizer chamber to the stack, and means for returning some of said gases tosaid passageway for recirculation. I

9. Apparatus of the character described including furnace and vaporizer chambers in communication for passage of gases from the furnace chamber to the vaporizer chamber, the furnace chamber including primary combustion chambers at its respective ends,

nace c amber forming primary combustion chambers, burners in said combustion chambers, means for delivering atmospheric air to said combustion chambers, a floor for said furnace chamber having a port openin to the furnace chamber between the com istion chambers, a passageway leading from the vaporizer chamber beneath said floor and adapted for delivering gases from the vaporizer chamber through the floor of the furnace chamber for recirculation, a stack, and means connecting said passageway with the stack.

11. Apparatus of the character described including furnace and vaporizer chambers in. communication for passage of gases from the furnace chamber to the vaporlzer chamber, horizontal bafiles at the ends of the furnace chamber forming primary combustion chambers, burners in said coinbustion chambers, means for delivering atmospheric air to said combustion chambers, a floor for said furnace chamber having a port opening to the furnace chamber between the combustion chambers, a pass way leading from the vaporizer chamber neath said floor and adapted for delivering ases from the vaporizer chamber through t e floor'of the furnace chamber for recirculation, a a

stack, means connecting said passageway with the stack, and means for regulating proportional flow of said gases to thepassageway and stack.-

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WARD T. BARKER 

